C. Then I was mifinformed

A. I confefs, appearances are against me, but, to quote another poet

"And this my life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in ftones, and good in every thing."

Whatever I fee and hear is to me a fubject of amusement, delight, or inftruction; which perhaps is more than I should receive if I fought either from what is called fociety. The works of nature, confidered by themselves, are a perpetual fource of entertainment to a mind in the habit of observation-to a cultivated mind, great pleasure arifes, from calling up remembrance of paffages in poets, which apply to the objects before you; and when we are reading thefe paffages, in referring them to the object or circumstance which first inspired them. The fame mutual reference applies to painting. We trace in nature the scenes which fired the ima

gination of Salvator, Pouffin, or Ruyfdael; and the pictures themselves remind us of that affemblage of objects to which we owe thofe divine exertions of genius. Where these fail, not an infect, or even stone, but may be confidered as a subject of disquisition in natural-history or philofophy. Do you call this folitude? Am I not always in good company?

C. You have a particular turn-all this is nothing to me-but suppose the weather be unfavourable, and you cannot go out?

A. Look on these shelves-they contain about fifty volumes of the choicest English, French, and Italian authors. In that port-folio are fome drawings of the best artists—and fee-there is a pile of mufic-books, and an excellent pianoforte. Is this folitude?

C.

C. I have no relifh for reading, painting, or mufic-that is, in your way. I like a newspaper at my breakfaft-pictures are delightful at the exhibition, when the room is full of company; and if I wish for mufic I go to the Opera, and there too the company is my chief inducement-I am not particular-all people of taste agree with me, and fo does an old verfe-maker:

"Let bear or elephant be e'er so white,
The people, fure the people, are the fight."

A. But, with these ideas in your head, how could you think of living by yourfelf? If it will not punish you too much, permit me to read you a few thoughts on retirement, which I committed to paper the last wet day-fome paffages are not inapplicable to yourself, although the fubject be on the propriety of retirement for perfons advanced in life, which certainly is not your cafe-Have I your permiffion?

C.

C. You will oblige me.

A. There is not a great deal of it(reading) The idea of young perfons retiring from the world is too abfurd to be made a question; but there are strong reafons for the retirement of old perfons; and, indeed, there are powerful arguments against it.

Those who believe a preparation for death to be neceffary, and think it of confequence to keep their thoughts undisturbed by the affairs of the world, fhould have nothing to interrupt their meditations.

If we have lived a bufy life, and enjoyed a reputation for brilliant parts or perfonal accomplishments; the conscioufnefs of those faculties decaying may mor tify our confequence, and be a perpetual fource of difguft if we ftill continue to mix with the world.

Although

Although the body muft droop and fade, yet, if the mind enjoy its priftine vigour, retirement prevents occafions of exposing the decay of our perfonal faculties, and affords opportunities of enjoying mental pleasures, perhaps in a fuperior degree; as from experience we may have learnt to make a proper eftimate of ourselves, of men, and their opinions: and knowing that these enjoyments are all that we have left, we value them as our fole poffeffions.

Retirement alfo puts in our power what remains of life, undisturbed, and unbroken by the interruptions of those, who, having no purfuit nor employment of their own, seem fent into world " to take us from ourselves"-thefe reafons apply folely to perfons who have fomething to engage their thoughts and attention, and can derive entertainment and enjoyment from their own proper fources.

C.